Sport Waikato, alongside contributing author Robyn Cockburn (Lumin Consultancy), have renewed the Waikato Regional Active Spaces Plan which will be presented to the Waikato Mayoral Forum in March. 

The review involved a 12-month process that included working alongside local and regional territorial authority partners, local and regional sporting organisations, Sport NZ, venue managers and regional funders as well as obtaining feedback from the general community to understand the challenges, barriers and opportunities for spaces and places planning in the Waikato region. This review has enabled a comprehensive understanding of sub-regional and regional play, active recreation, and sports facility and active spaces priorities over the next decade and beyond while ensuring that the Plan to reflect changes in the environment and spaces and places planning landscape. 

Regionally (and nationally) there have been significant changes in our communities over the past 3 years - the most significant of these are the way we participate in play, active recreation, and sport; current and future funding (including availability of funding towards infrastructure); and increased fiscal strain at both individual and sector levels, thus requiring a detailed review and renewal of the Waikato Regional Active Spaces Plan and emphasing the need for continued regional approach to planning. 

The Waikato Regional Active Spaces Plan provides a high-level strategic framework for play, active recreation, and sport facilities, including spaces and places planning and optimisation guidance across the region. Its goal is to enhance the provision of opportunities to play and actively recreate across the Waikato with a focus on delivering a regional network of facilities, spaces and places enabling community participation.  The 4th edition guides good stakeholder decision making and investment and focuses on collaboration, partnerships, and community hubs with a strong focus on wellbeing outcomes and a well-balanced network of facilities. While increased investment into existing infrastructure is a focus of the Plan, across the Waikato region there are still significant gaps in the provision and quality of play, active recreation, and sport infrastructure to meet the needs of a region that is in population ‘growth mode’. 

We look forward to sharing the updated Plan with regional stakeholders soon.